The term “closure element” is to be understood here in an inclusive fashion. It includes tailgates, trunk lids, engine hoods, side doors, sliding doors, lifting roofs, sliding windows, etc.
However, the drive arrangement in question is primarily applied in tailgates and side doors in motor vehicles. It serves for motor-operated adjustment of the respective closure element in the closing direction and in the opening direction.
The prior art drive arrangement (DE 20 2005 007 155 U1) on which the invention is based is assigned to a tailgate of a motor vehicle. The drive arrangement is equipped with two spindle drives which each have, in a compact structural unit, a drive motor, an intermediate transmission with a clutch and a spindle gear. A spring arrangement, which counteracts the weight of the assigned tailgate, is provided in the respective structural unit.
The prior art drive arrangement also has a drive controller which serves to actuate the two drives, in particular the two drive motors. The drives are generally each configured with a sensor for sensing the drive movement. Tailgates of considerable size and/or considerable weight can be adjusted by motor with the prior art drive arrangement. This opens new degrees of freedom in the configuration of such tailgates. However, the increase in the weight basically also involves an increased risk when the drive arrangement fails.
In the most unfavorable case, the drive connection between the drive arrangement and the tailgate ruptures, which can cause the tailgate to suddenly slam shut. This involves overall a considerable reduction of the operational safety of the tailgate arrangement.